1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microphone device that may be preferably used as a microphone device that is for use in meetings and arranged, for example, on each of a rostrum and tables where attendees are seated, in a meeting hall.
2. Background of the Related Art
As microphone devices that may be arranged on each of a rostrum and tables where attendees are seated, gooseneck microphone devices are widely used. Such a gooseneck microphone device is equipped with a stand arm, which is long, composed of a flexible pipe, with which the angle and height thereof may be easily adjusted. A microphone case in which a microphone unit is housed is mounted on a tip portion of the stand arm.
Moreover, a small-sized and light condenser microphone is used in the microphone unit, which is used for the gooseneck microphone device. Thus, in order to cause an impedance converter of such a condenser microphone to operate, a phantom power supply method is used in which power may be obtained from the outside using signal lines of the microphone.
In a microphone system that is installed in the above-described meeting hall or the like, it is necessary to prevent inclusion of a noise component including an unnecessary conversation and the like. In order to realize this, there may be a case where control is performed such that a signal from microphones other than the microphone of a speaker is shut off (the microphones other than the microphone of the speaker are switched off) and only a speech signal from the microphone of the speaker is received (the microphone of the speaker is switched on).
For switching on/off of each microphone device, there may be a case where each attendee operates the switch of his/her microphone, and there may also be a case where an operator who may see the entire meeting hall remotely operates the switches of microphones of attendees.
Accordingly, for such a microphone device, a microphone device is provided including a display lamp (a light-emitting diode (LED)) configured to be lit to show the state of the microphone device.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a conventional gooseneck microphone device installed in the above-described meeting hall. A mounting hole Th for a stand arm that supports a microphone case is drilled in a portion of a rostrum or a table T where an attendee is seated in the meeting hall.
A gooseneck microphone device 1 is mounted on the table T using the mounting hole Th in a state in which the gooseneck microphone device 1 stands substantially upright.
Reference numeral 21 denotes a base housing of the gooseneck microphone device 1. The base housing 21 is formed like a cylinder. A bottom-end portion of the base housing 21 having a slightly reduced diameter is inserted into the mounting hole Th, which has been drilled in the table T, and fixed. A connector 21a is housed inside the base housing 21.
Note that, although not illustrated, a connection terminal for connecting the connector 21a inside the base housing 21 to a phantom power supply is arranged on the back side of the table T.
A stand arm 25 is configured above the base housing 21 by connecting in order a first flexible pipe 22, a relay pipe 23, and a second flexible pipe 24. A microphone case 2 in which a microphone unit is housed is mounted on a tip portion of the stand arm 25.
Moreover, in the gooseneck microphone device 1, a window hole 21b filled with a light transmissive member is formed in a portion of the base housing 21. A light source (an LED), not illustrated, serving as a display lamp is housed inside the base housing 21, the display lamp being lit while the gooseneck microphone device 1 is in an on state. Note that a gooseneck microphone device having the above-described configuration has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-188491, which will be described in the following.
In the gooseneck microphone device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-188491, as described above, a light source (an LED) serving as a display lamp showing whether or not the gooseneck microphone device is in an on state is arranged in a portion of the base housing 21 to be mounted on a surface of a table. Accordingly, the arrangement position of the display lamp is close to the surface of the table and there is a problem in that it is difficult for attendees and an operator to recognize the state of the display lamp.
For example, in the case where the operator, who may see the entire meeting hall as described above, remotely performs on/off control on each microphone while managing communication, it is difficult for the operator to visually recognize microphones that are in the on state.
On the other hand, the gooseneck microphone device 1, which is installed in the above-described meeting hall, is mounted so as to stand on the table T. Thus, vibration caused when a relatively thick document or the like is moved on the table T and vibration caused as a result of operation of a keyboard or the like tend to easily propagate to the gooseneck microphone device 1 (the microphone unit) through the table T. Consequently, noise caused by vibration is easily captured by such a microphone device.